Turtle Beach Recon Spark Gaming Headset Review

If you think of Turtle Beach then you probably think of expensive, high-end, gear that is only really going to be of interest to the most serious of gamers. But whilst that may have previously been the case, Turtle Beach have slowly been making a name for themselves at the other end of the market, with cheaper products that come to market with decent spec sheets. The Recon Spark is the latest of those, following on from the likes of the Atlas One back in 2018 – it’s just this one comes with a super funky colour scheme to boot.

A multiplatform headset that will happily deal with anything thrown at it, the Turtle Beach Recon Spark works well with Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC and mobile – or in fact anything that comes with 3.5mm audio jack capabilities. And yes, whilst that means it is a wired product, and many may instantly see that as a major turn off, I’ve never been one to be bothered by one single cable that runs between headset and controller. Okay so it’s not quite as flexible as the top of the range gear which allows the opportunity for you to walk around hands-free, but the majority of the time I’ve got one of these gaming headsets plonked on my bonce, I’m sat in a chair, controller in hand, without a care in the world. It shouldn’t bother you either – especially when you remember this is a product that is nailing the ‘sub-£50’ headset category.

With the Recon Spark sat astride my ears though, I’ve been very pleasantly surprised. The comfort the padded headband brings is high, the glasses friendly memory foam ear cups should never be overlooked, and the lightweight nature this thing deals with means you’ll hardly notice it on your head. I’ve been more than pleased with this latest creation from Turtle Beach, although in a way I shouldn’t be overly shocked because this Recon Spark really does pick up the can from where the company’s Atlas One headset left off, pretty much delivering the same great package just with a fancy new colour in tow.

The spec sheets of these two headsets from Turtle Beach are near identical in fact; 40mm drivers, metal reinforced headband, cup-placed single volume dial, 245 gram weight, glasses friendly synthetic memory foam ear cushions, and a flip-to-mute mic are all included. In fact, other than ditching the usual black for a bright white and lavender colour variety, you could well be mistaken for thinking that Turtle Beach have dropped the exact same headset to the market

Of course there are a few little differences, but they are rather minor. For instance, the carbon fibre weave look previously seen on the top of the Atlas headband has been turned into a strange, fun, abstract design, and the white leatherette ear cups are possibly a little softer to the touch, hugging your ears delightfully. But if truth be told, if you’ve already got the Atlas One’s to hand, you’ll find little reason to want – or need – this latest Turtle Beach offering.

If you are in the market for a new headset though, and especially if you game on multiplatforms, then I’d wholeheartedly recommend you, at the very least, consider the purchase of the Recon Spark. See, the sounds that are delivered via those 40mm drivers are crisp, clear and come with just enough bass levels for settling down with the biggest triple A blockbusters and the smallest micro games that hit the Xbox Store. Even when throwing the volume up to its max, I’ve yet to notice any distortion in clarity or drop in quality, and while some may prefer a heavier sounding set of cans, these do the job for me.

The flip-to-mute mic is an outstanding addition too, one that allows for clear each-way party chat and simple ease of use when the time comes to mute the online world from your private one. And even though I’m still not particularly sold on the white and lavender (purple) colour that TB have decided to roll with – after all, with my Xbox head on, purple is the colour of the beast – once it is on your head and away from your eyes, it matters little what hue it is. It’s good to know that the main white scheme goes brilliantly with the Xbox One S and its controller though.

In terms of usability, a simple plug and play affair allows the Recon Spark to rule the roost as a hugely significant player in the everyday gaming scheme, attaching easily to any 3.5mm audio port and then just happily working as intended. You’ll have to be able to cope with that single wire, but should that never be a concern then there is little chance you’ll be able to find a better headset, at a comparative price, than the Recon Spark. That is particularly true when you consider the well built, brilliantly designed nature of this headset too, and once more Turtle Beach have nailed the basics brilliantly. Perhaps I’d like them to have used a higher grade plastic which isn’t quite so scratchy to the touch, but that’s getting picky, and when you consider the level of asking price, it is pretty much something you should expect to find.

That all comes together to see the Turtle Beach Recon Spark headset for Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC and mobile hit the mid-range market as a significant option for the everyday gamer who just wants to have fun. In fact, in the ‘less-than-£50’ gaming headset sector, you’ll struggle to find anything much better.

Massive thanks as always go out to Turtle Beach for the opportunity to spend some time with their new Recon Spark headset. If you are sold on what this delightful piece of kit brings and wish to know more, head on over to Turtle Beach direct.

An Xbox gamer since 2002, I bought the big black box just to play Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee. I have since loved every second of the 360's life and am now just as obsessed with the Xbox One - mostly with the brilliant indie scene that has come to the fore.
Gamertag is neil363, feel free to add me to your list.

Most recent reviews

About TheXboxHub

Having been Xbox gamers since 2002 when the original big black box hit the UK, taking in all the 360 years and now being overly excited for the One, we could never find a place that would only cover the interesting, exciting stuff from the world of Xbox. Hence, TheXboxHub was born.

Covering only the best in the latest news and reviews for both Xbox 360 and Xbox One, we aim to be a one stop hub for all your Xbox needs, without all the useless guff that you really don’t want to know about.